Advertisement
Just how could Morgan, Grant and Remington Stittleburg put into words what they’ll miss about their big sister, Brooke? And did they have to be put on the spot and tell her their deepest, most personal feelings as she sat inches away at the kitchen table?
Their parents, Todd and Kathy Stittleburg, believe in getting things out in the open. It was Tuesday night. In less than four days they would be taking Brooke to her new home in Macomb, Ill., and her new life as a NCAA Division I volleyball player at Western Illinois University.
The days of the Stittleburgs watching Brooke play at Black River Falls High School were over. They’ll have to watch a majority of her matches at Western Illinois via the Internet. The next time they’ll get to spend extended time with her likely will be during Christmas break.
So Remington, who will be in eighth grade this fall, pulled out his list of things he’ll miss about Brooke. The way she helps him with his homework, and believe it or not, the way she teases him.
Grant, his twin brother, was next. He’ll miss the way Brooke keeps going and going “like the Energizer Bunny.” He’ll miss bowling with her at Colonial Lanes in nearby Sparta, Wis.
There once was a time Morgan, a junior-to-be, didn’t think she’d miss Brooke. The two have had their fair share of tussles, as siblings are wont to do. But Kathy told her that one day they would be best friends. And this was the moment that Morgan truly realized they were.
“It’s tough to see her go,” Morgan said as she tried unsuccessfully to fight back tears. “I couldn’t have asked for a better sister.”
Three hundred and twenty miles will separate Brooke from her family, something that wasn’t lost on Kathy. She admitted she might cry a decent portion of the six-hour ride home. For Brooke, the homesickness might vanish after only two days, or perhaps two months. She didn’t know.
Brooke will have some familiar faces close by. Alison Gilbert, a West Salem graduate, will be one of her teammates. And her boyfriend, John Murphy, will be a little more than two hours away at St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa.
Still, Brooke and her family know separation anxiety is inevitable. And they’re all bracing for it.
“(Brooke) can’t be our little girl forever,” Todd said.
Stepping into adulthood
Brooke was 14 years old when she got her first taste of extended freedom from her family. She spent a week in Austin, Tex., playing in the USA Junior Olympic National Invitational. She thought having a sense of independence, even if it was only temporary, “was kind of fun.” But she also knew when she would return home.
Her new home, at least for the 2008-09 school year, will be a dorm room that she’ll have to herself. Her life will consist of going to class — she plans to pursue a degree in physical therapy — and playing volleyball. Nights like Tuesday, which included eating dinner with her family and watching the movie “Enchanted,” will be nonexistent.
Until this point, the best part of being an adult for Brooke, who turns 19 on Aug. 23, was earning the right to vote and being able to rent a movie by herself. But now she’ll get to see how well she can function so far away from home. And she admits, there likely will be days that will be challenging.
“I know I can make it on my own. But being on my own will be an eye-opener,” Brooke said. “There will probably be nights I’ll call home crying.”
A bittersweet farewell
Those will be the times Brooke, who composed her own list of the things she’ll miss about Black River Falls, will start thinking about the special times and people in her life.
She’ll smile when she thinks about autumn Friday nights watching the Black River Falls football team. She’ll fondly remember the deer, woodchucks and occasional bear that shows up in her family’s yard.
She’ll think about the summer days fishing with her family on Lake Arbutus in Hatfield, Wis. She’ll remember delicious home-cooked meals, especially anything that came off Todd’s grill and Kathy’s chocolate chip cookies.
And of course Brooke will think about the people she loves.
Her new Sony Vaio laptop, complete with a webcam, will go a long way toward helping her stay connected with what’s going on back home. She’ll be able to see her brothers’ faces when they talk about their latest football game. She’ll be able to see Morgan if she gets a new haircut.
But Brooke knows it won’t be the same. As thrilled as she is about playing Division I volleyball, her family means more to her than she could ever tell them.
“I’m really going to miss them. ... I can’t believe I’m actually moving out,” Brooke said. “I know it’s not like I’m never coming back here. But a lot of things change when you move out. It’s a really big step.”
Kirk Bey can be reached at (608) 791-8414, or at kbey@lacrossetribune.com
